In the United States, Republicans today offered President Barack Obama a temporary deal to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for budget negotiations over the fiscal impasse that triggered the first government shutdown in 17 years. House Speaker John Boehner said, the measure to allow the US to borrow money would advance if Obama agrees to negotiate over reopening the government and begins to deal with America's pressing problems. Responding to the planned offer to Obama, White House spokesman Jay Carney said that the US President is happy that cooler heads at least seem to be prevailing in the House, that there at least seems to be a recognition that default is not an option. But Carney did not guarantee that Obama would sign the short-term debt limit deal offered by Republicans. The government has been shut for nine days after lawmakers failed to pass a spending plan for the new fiscal year that started on October 1. Obama is scheduled to meet the lawmakers from Republican Party at the White House tomorrow.